SEPARATE BUT EQUAL - DURKHEIM RESPONSE TO THE WOMAN QUESTION

This article reexamines Durkheim's views on gender relations within th e context of nineteenth century French feminism. Durkheim's response t o the woman question reflects the sociopolitical discourse on individu al rights and responsibilities, the family, and women's roles in the p rivate and public spheres. Durkheim's perspective on gender relations is predicated on a biologically differentiated conception of gender ro le complementarity that emphasizes the couple, not the individual. Thi s perspective, shared by feminists, is best characterized by the phras e, separate, but equal.